The right pair of high-heels can make your outfit pop and can be a real confidence booster. But you may end up cringing in them, so read some smart tips from Foreverfit on how to make your joy last.
If you’re one of the ladies who enjoys wearing high-heels and making a grand entrance in them, then do read this. You don’t want to end up with blisters and cuts, or to spend your evening as a wallflower either! Doctors say if you must wear them at all, take a few precautions. If you do, you’ll certainly have a happier time.
Tips to avoid pain
#1 Go shoe shopping in the evening. By the end of the day, our feet tend to swell up. If you buy shoes at this hour, chances are you will buy the correct size, which will be comfortable when your feet inevitably swell up after a night out.
#2 Tape your 3rd and 4th toes together. Many celebrities and fashion bloggers swear by 70’s supermodel, Marie Helvin’s tip, which she claims correctly aligns the muscles of the feet.
Also, it reduces the pressure on the balls of the feet. You can try this with clear tape if you are wearing open-toed high heels, but a band aid should work if you’re wearing pumps.
#3 Test-drive the shoes before you step out. Walk around for a few minutes in the shoes at home and take note of where your feet rub against them the most. Then, take fabric tape or fabric band aids and apply them to those areas.
This should help prevent you from getting cuts and blisters later. Rubber grips found in specialty sports stores can also be useful to insert into the widest part of the shoes, to increase the stability.
#4 Put tight pumps in the freezer. If you find that you need just a little more wiggle room in your pumps, take 2 large 1-litre ziploc bags, fill them up a little bit over halfway with water and place a bag in each shoe.
Put the shoes in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer overnight. The water in the ziploc bags will turn to ice and will open up your shoes over the course of the night!
#5 Use deodorant on your feet to prevent chaffing. Spray deodorant on your feet before putting on your high-heels to prevent your feet from sweating and to minimize friction.
If you end up with blisters at the end of an evening out, soak your feet in hot water and Epsom salts. This helps kill bacteria and alleviate inflammation.